Among interim managers' motivations, "the benefits of the interim management assignment come before the employer brand", says Mickaël Mathiot, Chief Operating Officer ofIMfinity.
"When itcomes to recruiting a legal interim manager for your company, employer branding is irrelevant! The only criterion that counts for these experts is the interest of the assignment. And the more complex the environment, the more attractive it is... " 3 questions to Mickaël Mathiot, Chief Operating Officer of IMfinity.
First and foremost, novelty. If we had to draw up a typical profile, the legal interim manager likes adrenalin and change. They shun routine. He's not interested in accepting an assignment that's strictly identical to the last one. He's looking to get out of his comfort zone, and has strong pressure-management skills. What motivates them is new experience and the taste of a challenge!
In the final analysis, the brand is of little importance. The legal interim manager will focus on the nature of the assignment and what's at stake, not on the image the company conveys.
Here again, it's the difficulty that's sought after. The legal interim manager is stimulated by difficult, tense and complex situations. Restructuring, risk of bankruptcy, commercial litigation or compliance crises are all situations in which they know they will learn and enrich their experience. And this is the hallmark of the legal interim manager: a taste for discovery and a thirst for learning.
In other words, he knows perfectly well how to distinguish between the company's image on the one hand, and the benefits of the assignment on the other. By nature, by carrying out an assignment in a company experiencing an environmental, social or compliance crisis, he knows that his career path will not be associated with the difficulties encountered. They don't rub off on him, quite the contrary: he intervenes like a fireman, but is not the source of the problem. He knows that the best learning takes place in times of crisis, and that he can add this trophy to his list of achievements.
The legal interim manager is not concerned with employer branding. He or she comes for the sake of the assignment, but will not look at aspects essential to employees, such as social dialogue or quality of working life. As a result, the company doesn't have to make any effort to retain this talent: it's clear to everyone that his or her stay is only temporary.
In the same way, there's no need for the company to explain its strategy, justify its actions or reassure people about future developments: the legal interim manager is not involved.
In times of crisis, this professional takes a considerable load off management's shoulders. They bring their expertise to bear, unblocking complex situations, and there's no need to devote time to rewarding or encouraging them: they pursue their mission in line with the objective set. Even with a weakened employer brand, a company remains attractive to an interim manager, provided the assignment is interesting... and the fees are in line with the market!
